CrowdStrike Falcon vs Microsoft Defender for Business comparison

CrowdStrike Falcon vs. Microsoft Defender for Business

Download the complete report

Helped 868,787 peers since 2012

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

ROI

Sentiment score

7.3

CrowdStrike Falcon improves productivity, reduces costs, minimizes downtime, enhances security, and delivers high user satisfaction with effective threat management.

Sentiment score

6.8

Microsoft Defender boosts productivity and security, integrating seamlessly with Office tools for significant budget savings despite ROI challenges.

CrowdStrike Falcon saves time and offers good value for money, especially for enterprise companies, because it can stop breaches.

BambangTrisilo

IT consultant at Asuransi Ramayana

It's very easy to deploy without many IT admins, saving time.

Dipak M Gohil

IT Manager at Jord International Pty Ltd

For more quotes and insights, download the CrowdStrike Falcon report

Using Microsoft Defender for Business results in cost reductions as it consolidates various features under one product, saving around 20% to 30% of the budget.

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Defender for Business report

Consultant at Dell Technologies

The value I see in Microsoft Defender for Business is in its ability to track and respond to application usage and security threats through its CASB and automation features, which are cost-beneficial.

Amit-Granot

Works

Customer Service

Sentiment score

7.1

CrowdStrike Falcon's customer service is praised for responsiveness and expertise, though some suggest improvements in speed and communication.

Sentiment score

5.5

Users have mixed reviews of Microsoft Defender's support, noting contact difficulties and inconsistent technical assistance despite good onboarding.

On a scale of one to ten, I would rate the technical support as a 10 because they resolve many issues for us.

Mahmoud Younes

CyberSecurity Architects at VaporVM

The CrowdStrike team is very efficient; I would rate them ten out of ten.

Security Analyst at NTT Ltd

They could improve by initiating calls for high-priority cases instead of just opening tickets.

For more quotes and insights, download the CrowdStrike Falcon report

Information Security Specialist at Arab Open University

It is rated ten out of ten for its quality and assistance.

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Defender for Business report

Solution Consultant at BIM Group of Companies

The onboarding support is exceptional, ensuring seamless integration and implementation.

Anat Garty

Chief Cybersecurity Architect at cytek-security

Faster support is needed for endpoint security solutions.

Amit-Granot

Works

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score

7.9

CrowdStrike Falcon is praised for its scalable, cloud-based infrastructure, allowing easy deployment and expansion for diverse business sizes.

Sentiment score

8.3

Microsoft Defender for Business is scalable and effective across diverse environments, though special configurations might impact growth speed.

It has adequate coverage and is easy to deploy.

For more quotes and insights, download the CrowdStrike Falcon report

Senior Principal Information Security Analyst at Veritas Technologies LLC

In terms of scalability, I find CrowdStrike to be stable, and I have not encountered any limitations with it.

Mahmoud Younes

CyberSecurity Architects at VaporVM

There's no scalability limitation from CrowdStrike itself, as it just requires agent deployment.

Bhupesh-Sharma

Large account Manager at Softcell Technologies Limited

The cloud-based nature of the solution ensures high scalability.

Solution Consultant at BIM Group of Companies

The scalability of Microsoft Defender for Business is rated as ten, indicating it is very scalable.

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Defender for Business report

Consultant at Dell Technologies

In terms of scalability, I would rate Microsoft Defender for Business a ten.

Takayuki-Umehara

Public Cloud Engineer at Prudential

Stability Issues

Sentiment score

8.1

CrowdStrike Falcon is stable and reliable, though occasionally faces missed detections and minor disruptions during upgrades.

Sentiment score

7.2

Microsoft Defender for Business is stable and reliable, with minimal crashes, but some report occasional bugs impacting stability.

I have never seen instability in the CrowdStrike tool.

Security Analyst at NTT Ltd

We are following N-1 versions across our environment, which is stable.

Senior Principal Information Security Analyst at Veritas Technologies LLC

The biggest issue occurred when every computer worldwide experienced a blue screen.

For more quotes and insights, download the CrowdStrike Falcon report

Information Security Specialist at Arab Open University

No customer complaints about its functionality or reliability.

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Defender for Business report

Solution Consultant at BIM Group of Companies

Although it generally works, there are occasional issues and errors that sometimes require a complete system format to rectify.

Amit-Granot

Works

I would rate the stability of Microsoft Defender for Business with a three out of ten, where one is very bad.

Takayuki-Umehara

Public Cloud Engineer at Prudential

Room For Improvement

CrowdStrike Falcon requires enhancements in reporting, integration, UI navigation, feature set, pricing, support, and compatibility with older OS.

Microsoft Defender for Business needs better reporting, integration, simplified interface, and enhanced features to address various limitations and concerns.

Simplifying the querying process, such as using double quote queries or directly obtaining logs based on IP addresses or usernames, would be beneficial.

Security Analyst at NTT Ltd

Another concern is CrowdStrike's GUI. It changes annually, making it hard to work and find options.

For more quotes and insights, download the CrowdStrike Falcon report

Senior Principal Information Security Analyst at Veritas Technologies LLC

Threat prevention should be their first priority.

Bhim Arora

Group Manager at HCLSoftware

Microsoft should provide batch management solutions with the application, integrating pass management with roles.

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Defender for Business report

Solution Consultant at BIM Group of Companies

Features related to Advanced Persistent Threat detection vectors and cyber kill chain integrations are not available out-of-the-box.

KiranKumar17

CISO at a financial services firm with 11-50 employees

There can be improvements in the user interface to make it more intuitive.

Wondimu Almu

Information Technology Security Consultant at Navaio IT Security

Setup Cost

CrowdStrike Falcon is pricey but valued for security, with per-device pricing and discounts possible for enterprises; free trial available.

Microsoft Defender for Business offers competitive pricing with enterprise value, though some users find costs high compared to competitors.

It is expensive compared to SentinelOne, but as the market leader, it is worth it.

Senior Principal Information Security Analyst at Veritas Technologies LLC

The licensing cost and setup costs are affordable.

Rojal Barreto

Computer Engineer at OIC, Alshirawi

The solution is a bit expensive.

For more quotes and insights, download the CrowdStrike Falcon report

Information Security Specialist at Arab Open University

Single-year pricing remains good.

Solution Consultant at BIM Group of Companies

The pricing is quite affordable at the enterprise level with no extra expenses noted.

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Defender for Business report

Consultant at Dell Technologies

Although the cost can be slightly higher, it expedites deployment, which is beneficial, especially for startups.

KiranKumar17

CISO at a financial services firm with 11-50 employees

Valuable Features

CrowdStrike Falcon provides lightweight, AI-driven security with real-time response, easy integration, scalability, and minimal false positives.

Microsoft Defender for Business integrates seamlessly with Microsoft products, offering comprehensive security, scalability, and user-friendly features for effective threat management.

I can investigate by accessing the customer's host based on the RTR environment and utilize host search to know details for the past seven days, including logins, processes, file installations, malicious processes, and network connections.

Security Analyst at NTT Ltd

The real-time analytics aspect of CrowdStrike performs well because we get all logs in real-time, with no delay, allowing us to take action immediately.

Mahmoud Younes

CyberSecurity Architects at VaporVM

Being an EDR solution, it helps us identify attacks in real-time.

For more quotes and insights, download the CrowdStrike Falcon report

Information Security Specialist at Arab Open University

The threat detection capabilities are robust, with a dedicated research team and a continuously updated threat feed.

Wondimu Almu

Information Technology Security Consultant at Navaio IT Security

Its vulnerability management is regarded as one of the best in the industry.

Solution Consultant at BIM Group of Companies

The most effective features of Microsoft Defender for Business include its threat detection and response capabilities in managing vulnerabilities and ransomware attacks.

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Defender for Business report

Consultant at Dell Technologies

Categories and Ranking

CrowdStrike Falcon

Ranking in Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP)

1st

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.3

Number of Reviews

135

Ranking in other categories

Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) (6th), Threat Intelligence Platforms (TIP) (1st), Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) (1st), Extended Detection and Response (XDR) (1st), Attack Surface Management (ASM) (1st), Identity Threat Detection and Response (ITDR) (2nd), AI-Powered Cybersecurity Platforms (1st)

Microsoft Defender for Busi...

Ranking in Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP)

18th

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

6.9

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Microsoft Security Suite (15th)

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP) category, the mindshare of CrowdStrike Falcon is 7.9%, down from 11.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Defender for Business is 2.1%, up from 1.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP) Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
CrowdStrike Falcon	7.9%
Microsoft Defender for Business	2.1%
Other	90.0%

Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP)

Featured Reviews

Provides effective real-time threat detection with potential for cost optimization

Information Security Specialist at Arab Open University

Some features such as device control, firewall management, and file analysis are standalone products that we need to purchase separately. If these features came out of the box within the product, it would be much more beneficial for us. Other providers such as SentinelOne include these features in their base product. We attended a CrowdStrike Falcon event where they discussed some shallow AI features, but we cannot see these in our panel yet. We work with different solutions such as Darktrace and SocRadar, where AI features are automatically displayed in our dashboards after release. However, for CrowdStrike Falcon, we cannot see these features.

Read full review

Takayuki-Umehara

Public Cloud Engineer at Prudential

Product deployment protects assets but needs improvement in system support

I am doing maintenance for Microsoft Defender for Business, and I'm currently working with it. We don't need to use the latest version of Microsoft Defender for Business. We still use the latest virus definition file that Microsoft Defender for Business has automatically updated. We implement a basic update mechanism. Our compliance division manages how many servers and PCs we have and whether those servers have antivirus solutions. I am not certain about how Microsoft Defender for Business helps with AI-driven security strategies. I just use it normally and don't know if it uses AI technology. I rate Microsoft Defender for Business a six out of ten.

Read full review

See which vendors are best for you

Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP) solutions are best for your needs.

See recommendations

868,787 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

14%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Manufacturing Company

Government

Computer Software Company

19%

Comms Service Provider

Government

Retailer

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	46
Midsize Enterprise	34
Large Enterprise	61

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	15
Midsize Enterprise	2
Large Enterprise	3

Questions from the Community

Comparing CrowdStrike Falcon to Cortex XDR (Palo Alto)

Cortex XDR by Palo Alto vs. CrowdStrike Falcon Both Cortex XDR and Crowd Strike Falcon offer cloud-based solutions that are very scalable, secure, and user-friendly. Cortex XDR by Palo Alto offers ...

How does Crowdstrike Falcon compare with Darktrace?

Both of these products perform similarly and have many outstanding attributes. CrowdStrike Falcon offers an amazing user interface that makes setup easy and seamless. CrowdStrike Falcon offers a cl...

How does Microsoft Defender for Endpoint compare with Crowdstrike Falcon?

The CrowdStrike solution delivers a lot of information about incidents. It has a very light sensor that will never push your machine hardware to "test", you don't have the usual "scan now" feature ...

What do you like most about Microsoft Defender for Business?

A few things are valuable. One is the alerting we see when any kind of intrusion is happening, any kind of malware is being deployed across the endpoints, or any kind of suspicious activity is goin...

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft Defender for Business?

Our thoughts on the pricing for Microsoft Defender for Business are that we wish it could be better. If the pricing was a little better, we would definitely increase what we currently have.

What needs improvement with Microsoft Defender for Business?

Microsoft Defender for Business could improve by offering more of their offerings available in the basic tenants since not everyone has a budget for higher-level licenses, but everyone needs securi...

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint vs CrowdStrike Falcon

Comparisons

Compared 5% of the time

Darktrace vs CrowdStrike Falcon

Compared 3% of the time

Tanium vs CrowdStrike Falcon

Compared 3% of the time

Microsoft Defender XDR vs CrowdStrike Falcon

Compared 3% of the time

Fortinet FortiEDR vs CrowdStrike Falcon

Compared 2% of the time

More CrowdStrike Falcon Competitors

HP Wolf Security vs Microsoft Defender for Business

Compared 19% of the time

Microsoft Defender for Office 365 vs Microsoft Defender for Business

Compared 15% of the time

Trend Micro Worry-Free Services Suites vs Microsoft Defender for Business

Compared 7% of the time

Microsoft Defender XDR vs Microsoft Defender for Business

Compared 6% of the time

Xprotect vs Microsoft Defender for Business

Compared 2% of the time

More Microsoft Defender for Business Competitors

Product Reports

CrowdStrike Falcon

Download CrowdStrike Falcon product report

Microsoft Defender for Business

Download Microsoft Defender for Business product report

Also Known As

CrowdStrike Falcon, CrowdStrike Falcon XDR, CrowdStrike Falcon Threat Intelligence, CrowdStrike Identity Protection, CrowdStrike Falcon Surface

No data available

Overview

CrowdStrike Falcon offers comprehensive endpoint protection with real-time threat detection, AI-driven capabilities, and seamless integration with other platforms. Its cloud-native design provides robust security across diverse environments, making it a reliable choice for modern cybersecurity needs.

CrowdStrike Falcon is heralded for features like robust endpoint visibility, threat detection, and AI-driven capabilities. Users value its efficient real-time monitoring, which maintains low impact on performance while offering seamless integration with platforms. The lightweight design, coupled with comprehensive dashboards and automated threat responses, enhances security operations while reducing resource strain. CrowdStrike's cloud-native architecture ensures flexible, always-on protection, making it adaptable to a wide range of environments. However, improvements can be made in log management, compatibility with diverse operating systems, and integration with third-party technologies. Users also seek more robust reporting features, fewer false positives, and better support for legacy systems. Enhanced policy application, AI capabilities, and extended on-demand scanning are desired, while pricing and technical support responsiveness are concerns.

What are CrowdStrike Falcon's key features?

Endpoint Visibility: Offers robust real-time monitoring and detection.
AI-Driven Security: Incorporates advanced AI for threat intelligence.
Cloud-Native Architecture: Provides flexible, always-on protection.
Automated Threat Response: Enhances security operations efficiently.
Seamless Integration: Works smoothly with other platforms.

What benefits should users focus on?

Reduced Resource Strain: Lightweight design minimizes performance impact.
Comprehensive Security: Advanced protection across various endpoints.
Flexible Deployment: Adapts to different environments easily.
Improved Efficiency: Streamlines threat detection and response processes.
Cost-Effectiveness: Potential ROI from reduced security breaches.

CrowdStrike Falcon is implemented widely in industries relying on robust endpoint protection for monitoring, securing endpoints, forensic analysis, and malware detection. Its cloud-based AI capabilities ensure comprehensive security across devices, making it a preferred choice for networks, servers, and workstations globally. The efficient management of security threats and compliance with regulations is achieved with minimal resource consumption.

CrowdStrike

Microsoft Defender for Business is a new endpoint security solution that was designed especially for the small and medium-sized business (up to 300 employees). With this endpoint security solution, your company's devices are better protected from ransomware, malware, phishing, and other threats.

Microsoft

CrowdStrike Falcon vs. Microsoft Defender for Business